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<title>Haaze.com / Susan01 / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[eBay revenues jump 16 percent with PayPal's Help]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ebay-revenues-jump-16-percent-with-paypals-help</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ebay-revenues-jump-16-percent-with-paypals-help</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rasingsirss324</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ebay-revenues-jump-16-percent-with-paypals-help</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Fueled by its PayPal division, eBay reported first quarter results today that exceeded expectations. Revenues jumped 16 percent to $2.5 billion, compared to the same period a year ago, and profits soared by 20 percent to total $475.9 million, or 36 cents a share. The results were in line with its internal projections of revenues of up to $2.5 billion and earnings per share and up to 36 cents a share. The company also met or exceeded analysts expectations for the period. PayPal continues to be the area where eBay sees the most growth. Net revenues from the company's marketplaces service increased 12 percent in the first quarter compared to the year-ago quarter, whereas the company's revenues from payments increased 23 percent in the same time period. The company also confirmed that it is still on track to double eBay's mobile gross merchandise revenues (excluding vehicles) to $4 billion in 2011 from $2 billion last year. But consumers aren't the only ones making purchases. eBay has also been out shopping to fuel its next stage of growth. Last month, eBay agreed to purchase publicly held GSI Commerce for $2.4 billion, the company's second-largest acquisition ever behind Skype. It also purchased Where, a location-based mobile ad network. In a statement, eBay President and CEO John Donahoe, said: &quot;In the first quarter, PayPal continued to drive strong growth globally, eBay sharply accelerated growth in the U.S., and we announced several acquisitions that we believe will enhance our leadership and innovation in commerce and payments. The year is off to a strong start.&quot; eBay is not the only one that is gearing up for the next stage of growth. While it's looking external for growth drivers, its competitor, Amazon, is growing organically. Yesterday, Amazon announced its first quarter earnings. Revenues surged by 38 percent compared to the year-ago period, but its net income fell as the giant retailer invested heavily in all sorts of businesses. eBay's second-quarter outlook is also strong. The San Jose, Calif.-based company expects net revenues in the range of $2.55 to $2.65 billion with GAAP earnings in the range of 36 to 37 cents per share. Non-GAAP earnings are forecasted to fall between 45 to 46 cents a share. eBay boosted its full-year guidance. Revenues are now expected to land between $10.6 to $10.9 billion. However, GAAP earnings per share have been revised downward to between $1.53 and $1.58. Story Copyright (c) 2011 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CNET lets you jump the line for the Glitch beta]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cnet-lets-you-jump-the-line-for-the-glitch-beta</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cnet-lets-you-jump-the-line-for-the-glitch-beta</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>qeqapqa</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cnet-lets-you-jump-the-line-for-the-glitch-beta</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The logo for Tiny Speck's Glitch, which went into beta last week after more than a year of development by a team led by Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield and fellow Flickr veterans Serguei Mourachov, Cal Henderson, and Eric Costello.(Credit:Tiny Speck)This is your chance to enter the world of the giants.Last week, Glitch, the new online game from Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield's company Tiny Speck went into beta. A whimsical playground that lets users meander through a complex, stylized virtual world, Glitch might someday be a place populated by millions of people looking for a little more than your standard Facebook game.But for now, anyone wanting to play the game has to wait in a line of thousands of people queued up for the Glitch beta. Not you, though. At least, not if you're one of the first 111 people to follow this link. This is a free pass to get into the game and avoid the lengthy wait.Soon enough, Glitch will be available to the whole world, but for now, there's a velvet rope in front of the entryway, and CNET is offering you the chance to hear the bouncer say &quot;come on in.&quot; But only if you're quick. After 111 people click that link, the slots will be gone. So don't wait.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[What does 'safe' mean in a nuclear disaster (Q&A)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-does-safe-mean-in-a-nuclear-disaster-qa</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-does-safe-mean-in-a-nuclear-disaster-qa</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>belibim3</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-does-safe-mean-in-a-nuclear-disaster-qa</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ira Helfand, board member and past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility.(Credit:Physicians for Social Responsibility)The news out of Japan has not been good this week. Officials there raised the severity rating of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to the highest level, while the plant continues to dump radiation into the air and water and radiation is found in milk and drinking water in U.S. cities and elsewhere. What does this mean for you and me  To help make sense of the health and environmental consequences of this crisis, CNET spoke to two experts in the nuclear field. My colleague Martin LaMonica spoke with David Brenner from Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research. Brenner says that while the individual risks are currently low for people outside the area around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, radioactive particles have entered the food chain and will be there for generations, which will likely cause at least some cases of cancer. That Q&amp;A can be found here.Ira Helfand, board member and former president of the medical and public health group Physicians for Social Responsibility, says there is no &quot;safe&quot; level of radiation and that while levels reaching the U.S. now are relatively low, they could get much worse if things deteriorate at the Japanese plant. But for now, he advises caution, not panic.What health risks for people in the United States does the nuclear crisis in Japan pose I think the health risk right now in the U.S. is relatively low. There is no safe dose of radiation, so any exposure is not good for you and does increase your chance of getting cancer. The concern is how much radiation is ultimately going to come out of this plant. At the moment, the amount is said to be about 10 percent of the amount released at Chernobyl. The amount that is potentially releasable there is much, much larger than Chernobyl, and the situation remains completely out of control at this point. There's still a substantial risk that there will be large amounts of radiation from Fukushima, and in that case we could see a significant exposure here in the United States. Following Chernobyl, people in large numbers developed cancers as a result of their exposure to that radiation, and that is the potential risk here, although we're not at that point yet. There are indications that Fukushima has more than 20 times the amount of nuclear fuel than Chernobyl had. Does this mean that the potential threat from Fukushima could exceed that of Chernobyl Absolutely there is much more radioactive material in play here. There are some important differences. There was a huge fire at Chernobyl and it was hard to disperse the radioactivity, and there has not been that kind of fire so far at Fukushima. But there's an enormous amount of radioactive material there, which is not under control at this point and which could enter the environment and potentially travel large distances. Did comparable levels of air, water, and milk contamination show up in the United States after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 I don't know the exact levels that showed up in the United States after Chernobyl. There certainly was contamination and large contaminations across a big swath of Europe. The issue for us with Fukushima is that the predominant winds tend to blow from west to east so that, although there has been some radiation blowing towards mainlands Japan and Korea, there is a real possibility that if there is a large release that it would blow the other direction toward the United States.What's the difference between the radiation that plant workers are exposed to and air-borne radioactivity For the most part workers are being exposed to a very intense Gamma Field. They're wearing protective suits and filters so the radioactive particles aren't getting into their lungs and on their skin. They're still getting gamma rays, which are like X-rays, they pass right through those radiation suits. So they're getting a one-time radiation dose and they're at risk of radiation sickness and at risk of cancer down the road. The airborne particles pose a slightly different problem. They get into food and water and get inhaled by people as well. They then become what are called &quot;internal emitters&quot; and get incorporated into our tissues and continue to irradiate us on an ongoing basis for, in some cases, decades of time. In that way they deliver a much higher dose of radiation over time.You've said hundreds of thousands of cancer cases that occurred in the former Soviet Union because of the Chernobyl catastrophe were due to people eating radioactively contaminated food. Is that the biggest risk to people outside Japan Probably. It depends how much radiation is released. But probably the main way this would get into our systems is if we eat contaminated food. And that could be food imported from Japan or grown here in the U.S. if there is a large amount of radioactive material here. There's an area in the United Kingdom where people are still not allowed to raise sheep for consumption because of intensely radioactive contamination there from Chernobyl 25 years ago.How far do radioactive particles travel It's basically a worldwide distribution. Radioactive material from Fukushima is probably detected at any place on the planet at this point. Obviously, the closer you are, the more downwind you are, the greater exposure you are going to see. When you release this much radioactivity it ultimately disperses everywhere. Do you think that the levels of iodine 131 and cesium 137 showing up in air, water, and milk in the U.S. are safe U.S. officials say they are at low levels and that we shouldn't be worried. The word &quot;safe&quot; is kind of charged here. I would say that there is no safe exposure to radiation and the Bier VII report (PDF) from the National Academies agrees with that. Any dose of radiation you are exposed to increases your risk of getting cancer. Having said that, the doses we are seeing right now are extremely low. The increased risk of cancer an individual person gets from drinking that water is extremely low. On the other hand, if very large numbers of people are exposed to a very low risk, some of those people are going to get cancer and they are going to die from it. That's the problem with using a word like &quot;safe.&quot; What you can say is the risk is so low that people should feel that they can drink the water, but it's not the same as saying there is no risk at all. &quot;People get melanoma from solar radiation. They get lung cancer from breathing radon particles, particularly in areas of construction done with granite. And a certain amount of natural instance of cancer is caused by natural background radiation. The point is, the fact that we already have radiation in the environment isn't reason to expose people to more of it.&quot;Would you consider the low or moderate levels of cesium-137 contamination that we are all now experiencing worth the risk They're not safe. The added risk of cancer is very low for any one individual, but that's not the same as saying people aren't going to get cancer from this because large numbers of people are potentially going to get exposed to it. Unlike iodine, which has a half life of eight days (every eight days the radiation is halved), cesium's half life is 30 years, so this is a long-lived contaminant and long-lived threat to the people exposed to it. They are reporting cesium in milk in the U.S. and how low the dose is I don't know at this point. I'm not sure we do know what the doses are. One of the things that was very troubling for those of us who gave the Japanese the benefit of the doubt was to discover that they knew for several weeks that this accident was much worse than they were letting on. There are real concerns about the quality of the data we are getting. This certainly was a huge issue after Chenobyl.But there are suggestions by government officials and others that low levels of radiation cause no health problems. There is no safe level of radiation. It's wrong to say that they are safe. What you can say is the risk is extremely low, so low that for any one individual it is reasonable to continue to drink the water or milk. But if enough people drink it some of them are going to get cancer. Is it reasonable for any one person to assume that risk People have to decide how much risk they are willing to live with. When you get into acar and drive to work there a certain risk that you are going to have an accident. Some people aren't willing to drive to work, or fly in airplanes. There are a lot of things we have to do that have some risk associated with it. The key point for me is even if the risk is one that an individual might be willing to assume, it's not necessarily a risk that society should assume. Even if we don't need to take individual action to protect our health, we shouldn't be letting this happen in the first place.The U.S. FDA has stopped food imports from Japan. Is this likely to be temporary How is this sort of thing determined It's not clear how long this will be a problem. It depends on how much radiation continues to come out of the plant. If the radiation stops, most of it has been iodine 131, and that will decay quickly. But if it continues to leak iodine 131 or we get a bigger leak of cesium 137, this could be longer term problem.What about the radiation risk to seafood, and seaweed, which is commonly used in sushi Would you consider them safe to consume Not necessarily. It depends on where they are gathered from. They're dumping an enormous amount of radioactivity into the ocean right now. They're going to have to monitor the fish and the seaweed very closely to see if they've incorporated significant amounts of this radioactive material. The problem is that the fish move around, so fish that have swum through that area could get caught somewhere else. We're going to have to be careful. Should the government be testing seafood from any international waters at this point They probably do need to do some surveillance testing, at least. Tuna migrates and some ends up off the coast of the U.S. and Canada. We'll have to make sure this stuff isn't carrying high levels of radioactivity, particularly cesium.What else should the U.S. government do I think the main thing they need to do is to review policy around our own nuclear power plants. It's very disturbing that the reaction of the U.S. government from Obama on down is this knee-jerk reaffirmation of our continued intention to use nuclear power. In the face of this accident a little bit of examination would seem to be appropriate. The U.S. government just said that people shouldn't be within 50 miles of the Fukushima plant. If you draw 50-mile circles around all the power plants in the United States there are 110 million people who live within those circles. There are individual power plants whose evacuation zone would be 17 million people. That's in New York. It is very wrong to just say we are going to go full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes, when we have this number of people in harm's way. What should people in Japan do to protect themselves And how about people in the U.S. Here in U.S. at the moment we don't need to take any specific measures to protect ourselves, except monitor the situation closely so if there are significant further releases we are prepared to act then. In Japan there are people who should and probably are taking potassium iodide to protect themselves in the event of iodine 131 exposures. They have be very careful about their food supply. The produce grown in Fukushima won't be safe for human consumption. Will they ever be able to grow food there again If there is a lot of cesium in the soil, it's going to be a very long time before they grow anything safely there. There are areas around Chernobyl where people still aren't supposed to be growing food.There is a perception that low radiation levels are just more incremental noise in an environment already filled with background contamination from cosmic rays, radon gas, and X-rays. Do people die from that contamination we get on a daily basis Why is this different People do die from that. One of the things that causes cancer in the world is radiation. People get melanoma from solar radiation. They get lung cancer from breathing radon particles, particularly in areas of construction done with granite. And a certain amount of natural instance of cancer is caused by natural background radiation. The point is, the fact that we already have radiation in the environment isn't reason to expose people to more of it and cause more of that effect. Anything else that you would like to add I would like to point out the role that nuclear power plays in the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We've got this weird situation where we identify the proliferation of nuclear weapons as the No. 1 security threat to the United States. At the same time it is our formal government policy to promote the export of nuclear power to countries all around the world. Any country that has a nuclear power industry can build nuclear weapons, and we just can't have it both ways. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Buffalo CloudStor Pro review: It's all about the Internet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffalo-cloudstor-pro-review-its-all-about-the-internet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffalo-cloudstor-pro-review-its-all-about-the-internet</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:10:48 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>enochhnhhe</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffalo-cloudstor-pro-review-its-all-about-the-internet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Buffalo CloudStor Pro is based entirely on the Pogoplug service and requires a live Internet connection to work well.(Credit:Dong Ngo/CNET)During the hands-on with Marvell's first plug-in network storage product, the SheevaPlug computer, which later on became the engine of the Pogoplug service, I was wishing that the device were more of a full-featured NAS server, instead of just a tiny device that worked with a USB external hard drive. And the wish came true when Buffalo announced the CloudStor Pro at CES 2011. But, as they say, maybe I should have been more careful what I wished for.Related links&amp;149' A closer look at the SheevaPlug&amp;149' Full review of the Pogoplug 2&amp;149' Full review of Iomega's Cloud Edition NAS serverBased entirely on the Pogoplug service, the CloudStor Pro depends on the Internet for its setup process, which is quick and easy, as well as for most of its functions to work. This makes it less of a network-attached storage (NAS) server and more of an Internet-attached server. Like all other Pogoplug devices, such as the Pogoplug 2, the CloudStor Pro offers an easy way to share data, especially digital multimedia content, over the Internet. Owners of the device can easily share content with others by e-mail, and once shared the content can be played by streaming it directly from the Web interface or on mobile devices via the Pogoplug mobile app. Of course, this means the performance of the server depends on the speed of the connections to the Internet at both the server end and the remote client end. For most connections, I found that it works out OK.For the local network that the server is plugged into, however, it offers just the support for Time Machine and a very basic way to share one public folder. Any other extra functions would require software to be installed and a connection to the Internet to work.As the CloudStor Pro is indeed a full-featured dual-bay server that supports RAID 1, the lack of broad support for the local network, RAID 0, plus its intermittently buggy firmware make it not an ideal network storage for regular home users. Pogoplug fans, however, will no doubt love it. And at just around $240, with one hard drive of 2TB included, the CloudStor Pro is definitely worth an upgrade from the Pogoplug 2.For more information on if this server is for you, check out CNET's full review.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Toned-down Acura TL SH-AWD sports latest tech]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toned-down-acura-tl-sh-awd-sports-latest-tech</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toned-down-acura-tl-sh-awd-sports-latest-tech</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:10:39 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>gatlomensa</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toned-down-acura-tl-sh-awd-sports-latest-tech</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Wayne Cunningham/CNET)The last iteration of the Acura TL launched with too bold a look, and after only a couple of years in production, the 2012 version comes out with a toned-down grille piece and more subtle lines. Although the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD is not as distinctive as its predecessor, its Acura identity remains intact.And although it doesn't sit at the top of Acura's model lineup (that position is reserved for the RL), the TL SH-AWD shows off Acura's latest technology, and exhibits a level of comfort and luxury that outstrips its siblings. New features for the 2012 TL SH-AWD include a bigger hard drive for more onboard music storage, voice command that lets you choose music by name, and a six-speed automatic transmission.Read our review of the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft previews IE10 at Mix11 show]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-previews-ie10-at-mix11-show</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-previews-ie10-at-mix11-show</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zoranzrnrr</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-previews-ie10-at-mix11-show</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LAS VEGAS--Just weeks after launching Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft previewed an early version of Internet Explorer 10 at its Mix11 developer conference here today.Microsoft went to great lengths to illustrate how deep its commitment is to HTML5 in IE9--the Web standard is pushed hard the new browser. That allows developers to create programs more simply so that they can be used on a variety of devices. &quot;It's just closer to what people expect from apps,&quot; said Dean Hachamovitch, corporate vice president of Internet Explorer, in a keynote address.Microsoft&amp;39's Dean Hachamovitch at Mix11(Credit:Jay Greene/CNET)By putting its considerable weight behind the HTML5 standard, Microsoft is hoping to convince other developers to follow.Hachamovitch's speech focused on the geeky details that the Web developers who come to Mix11 love to hear. The first platform preview of IE10 includes support for standards such as CSS3 Gradients on background images and CSS3 Flexible Box Layout. Hachamovitch was joined on stage by Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft's Windows and Windows Live division, and the pair ran IE10 through the paces next to Google's Chrome. Not surprisingly, the demo showed Microsoft's browser rendering faster and more smoothly.Developers can download the preview of IE10 on its IE Test Drive site.Microsoft has been criticized for being slower than rivals in updating the builds of its browser. Hachamovitch addressed that head on, saying faster isn't always better. &quot;Increased cadence just means bigger version numbers,&quot; Hachamovitch said. That makes Web developers lives more difficult, as they try to keep up with the latest builds.Hachamovitch added that developers should expect new builds every 12 weeks, instead of the eight-week pace Microsoft held with IE9 development. &quot;It just wastes less of your time,&quot; Hachamovitch said.Seperately, Sinofsky mentioned, before heading off stage, that Microsoft has scheduled a Professional Developers Conference for September 13 through 16 in Anaheim, Calif. PDC's are benchmark moments for Microsoft, where the company lays out its vision for developers. It's likely the spot where Microsoft will unveil details of Windows 8.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Spider robot great for scaring arachnophobes]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=spider-robot-great-for-scaring-arachnophobes</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=spider-robot-great-for-scaring-arachnophobes</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>miketyson10</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=spider-robot-great-for-scaring-arachnophobes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Video screenshot by Leslie Katz/CNET)Japan's Kondo Kagaku has a new spider robot with six legs and a palpable creep factor, especially when it drums on a table like in this video.  The KMR-M6 is targeted at hobbyists, researchers, and people who want to scare others. Each of its legs has two Kondo KRS-2552HV ICS servo motors--one for the horizontal rotation and another for the vertical movement. The bot seems to have a maximum ground clearance of about 4 inches. The Kondo RCB-4HV control board directs the leg movements, and a 10.8V 800mAh Ni-MH battery supplies the power. Users can add additional leg assemblies to make even creepier spider-bots. Shipping in May for about $880, it will probably find lots of fans among Kondo's KHR humanoid kit robot users. Or aspiring Doctor Octopuses out there. (Via Robots Dreams) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Facebook game turns future into Libya-like chaos]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-game-turns-future-into-libya-like-chaos</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-game-turns-future-into-libya-like-chaos</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Abiabeo</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-game-turns-future-into-libya-like-chaos</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Breakthrough)The drugs may be pumped directly into the water rather than slipped into the populace's Nescafe.But with First Amendment rights shelved and human rights threatened, the U.S. looks an awful lot like Gaddafi's Libya in the new Facebook game America 2049. The app attempts to bridge social gaming and social justice by putting you in a MacGyver-meets-Bourne role and presenting some of the pressing issues of our time and perhaps of the not-too-distant future. The global human rights org behind the app, Breakthrough, describes it this way:You, the player, are an agent of the Council on American Heritage. Tasked with the capture of a presumed terrorist, you are sent into high-risk situations that challenge you to ask: What if How close have we already come to America 2049 How can we work together--in real life--to build a better futureAmerica 2049 is the first Facebook game to integrate the social-networking platform with many other resources, online and off: multimedia and interactive features, historical artifacts, clues planted across the Internet and real-life events at leading cultural institutions nationwide.A familiar cast of actors volunteered their time for the project, adding a little Hollywood splash. You're likely to recognize some faces like comedian Margaret Cho and Harold Perrineau from &quot;Lost.&quot;You may not wind up saving the world, but you're likely to learn a lot more than you would watering your friend's radishes.        Eric Mack     Full Profile E-mail Eric Mack   E-mail Eric Mack If you have a question or comment for Eric Mack, you can submit it here. However, because our editors and writers receive hundreds of requests, we cannot tell you when you may receive a response.   Submit your question or comment here: 0 of 1500 characters       Crave freelancer Eric Mack is a writer and radio producer based somewhere high in the Rocky Mountains in a &quot;one bar&quot; service area (for both drinks and 3G). He has reported for NPR, Wired, and The New York Times and was previously an editor for AOL. He recently completed his first e-book on the Android OS. Eric is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. E-mail Eric.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Expedia to split into two companies]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=expedia-to-split-into-two-companies</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=expedia-to-split-into-two-companies</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>svetalago</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=expedia-to-split-into-two-companies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Expedia is splitting into two companies, Expedia and TripAdvisor, the travel firm announced today.Under its Expedia brand, the company will conduct both domestic and international operations through Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire, and others. The second company, TripAdvisor, will be made up of TripAdvisor.com, as well as &quot;18 other travel media and advertising brands.&quot; Both entities will be publicly traded.TripAdvisor was acquired by InterActive Corporation (IAC) in 2004. It spun off under the Expedia name in 2005. Since then, Expedia has been performing relatively well. In 2009, the company generated a profit of more than $299 million on $2.9 billion in revenue. Last year, it posted a $421.5 million profit on more than $3.3 billion in revenue.Though both TripAdvisor and Expedia are part of the ever-growing online travel sector, the former is designed to provide travelers with information and advice. Expedia is a place to find deals on travel. And it's that core difference that Expedia seems to want to highlight with this move.When Expedia spins off TripAdvisor, the agreement will be tendered in &quot;the form of a distribution of stock of TripAdvisor to Expedia stockholders,&quot; the company said. The deal requires approval from Expedia's Board of Directors and is expected to close in the third quarter.Expedia did not immediately respond to request for comment.As of this writing, Expedia's stock is up $2.95 per share to $25.47 in after-hours trading.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Cisco refreshes wireless-N Linksys E series routers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cisco-refreshes-wireless-n-linksys-e-series-routers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cisco-refreshes-wireless-n-linksys-e-series-routers</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:10:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>idgesqahie</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cisco-refreshes-wireless-n-linksys-e-series-routers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The new jewelry-box Linksys E1500 router from Cisco.(Credit:Dong Ngo/CNET)If you have read the review of the Linksys E4200 router and decided to move on, thinking &quot;It's just so sweet but it's too expensive, plus I don't want all the bells and whistles anyway,&quot; perhaps you don't need to walk away. As it turns out, the E4200 is just a teaser of an entire new generation in the Linksys E series that Cisco announced today.Apart from the E4200, the new generation includes four new routers: E1200, E1500, E2500, and E3200. Except for the E1500, which is a new tier of its own, the rest of them are the upgrades of the E1000, E2000, and E3000, respectively.The Cisco Connect software now includes a handy Speed Test tool.(Credit:Dong Ngo/CNET)Like the previous routers in the E series, the new routers all feature Cisco Connect software, which makes setting up and managing a no-brainer for even the least tech-savvy person. The software is now updated to offer a Speed Test utility that helps you quickly determine how fast your connection to the Internet is. This comes in handy in case you want to know if you're getting what your provider says you pay for. Similar to the E4200, the rest of the new routers in the E series sport a new esthetically pleasing design that makes them look more like jewelry boxes than networking products. The new designs are also compact and more streamlined than previous models.Other than that, these wireless-N routers range from a basic router, the E1200, to the high-end, the E3200 and, of course, the top-of-the-line E4200. You can find&amp;nbsp' more in the comparison chart below.The new generation of Cisco&amp;39's Linksys E series covers all different tiers in the wireless-N router spectrum for homes and small businesses.(Credit:Dong Ngo/CNET)All of these routers are available now. The Virtual USB features, when applicable, however, require additional software that will be available for download for free by this summer, according to Cisco. You can read the review of the Linksys E1500 here.Besides the routers, Cisco also announced three new switches for homes, including the five-port 10/100 Linksys SE1500 ($29.99), the five-port Gigabit Linksys SE2500 ($54.99), and the eight-Port Gigabit Linksys SE2800 ($74.99). These switches share the cable connect detection energy-saving feature that automatically turns off the ports that are not connected. The two Gigabit switches also have a sleep mode that turns off the ports when the connected devices are not in use. These switches are also available now. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: U.S. solar $6 billion industry in 2010]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-u-s--solar-6-billion-industry-in-2010</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-u-s--solar-6-billion-industry-in-2010</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:10:56 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanya01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-u-s--solar-6-billion-industry-in-2010</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:SEIA/GTM Research)The U.S. solar market grew 67 percent from a $3.6 billion market in 2009 to $6 billion in 2010, according to &quot;U.S. Solar Market Insight: 2010 Year in Review,&quot; a report released this month by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research.California installed the most photovoltaics last year, with 258.9 megawatts of direct current (MWdc), followed by New Jersey in second place with 137.1, and Nevada with 61.4. Others on the Top 10 list in order of greatest installations included Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.The SEIA estimates that the U.S. now has a cumulative solar capacity of 2.6 gigawatts. Of that 2.6 gigawatts, there are 152,516 PV systems totaling 2.1 gigawatts (direct current) connected to the power grid. The U.S. also now has 17 concentrated solar plants totaling about 507 megawatts (alternating current), according to the SEIA.The biggest reason for this growth could be attributed to the large amount of utility installations. There were a total of 113 megawatts as of 2009, and that increased to 242 megawatts by the end of 2010. The SEIA attributes a lot of those projects to the Department of Energy Loan program and says future growth outlook will depend in part on that program's fate.Still, despite growth, the U.S. actually fell behind other countries in 2010 in terms of global photovoltaic installation. The U.S. was home to only 5 percent of the world's installed photovoltaics in 2010, compared with 6.5 percent in 2009. The SEIA attributed this to the European solar boom caused by government incentives that pushed countries like Spain, Italy, and Germany to install more solar plants.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple, Nokia, others targeted in camera patent suit]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-nokia-others-targeted-in-camera-patent-suit</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-nokia-others-targeted-in-camera-patent-suit</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>phitipkahh</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-nokia-others-targeted-in-camera-patent-suit</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A lawsuit filed last week in Texas by a group named Imperium Holdings claims that Apple along with Kyocera, LG, Motorola Mobility, Nokia, Research in Motion (RIM), and Sony-Ericsson are infringing on five patents related to the cameras and imaging equipment found in phones and other mobile devices.The suit, which was reported Friday by Patently Apple, picks on five patents in particular:Patent 6,271,884: Image flicker reduction with fluorescent lighting.Patent 6,838,651: High sensitivity snap shot CMOS image sensor. Patent 6,838,715: CMOS image sensor arrangement with reduced pixel light shadowing. Patent 7,064,768: Bad pixel correction while preserving features. Patent 7,109,535: Semiconductor device for isolating a photodiode to reduce junction leakage. As noted by Patently Apple, the mix of patents are actually owned by two different companies: 6,271,884, which deals with image flicker reduction, is owned by Conexant System of Newport Beach, Calif., while the remaining four have the assignee listed as ESS Technology, based in Fremont, Calif. The earliest of those was filed in 1999, with the most recent being in 2005.This is just the latest in a long list of patent suits against Apple, though the second in the last year or so to center on imaging. One filed against Apple in January 2010 by Kodak took aim at image previewing, and the capability to process images at different resolutions. Apple ended up counter-suing the company just three months later.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPad 2 launch predictably draws crowds, sellouts]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-launch-predictably-draws-crowds-sellouts</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-launch-predictably-draws-crowds-sellouts</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>KizzyNorcke1974</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-launch-predictably-draws-crowds-sellouts</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The scene yesterday evening at the downtown San Francisco Apple store.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)If there were any lingering doubts thatApple's iPad sequel would draw the same interest the first-generation device did, they were quashed before stores even opened their doors yesterday.The iPad 2, a device that was unveiled just 10 days ago, launched to huge crowds and inventory that sold out quickly, both in stores and online.Shipping times for online orders, which opened yesterday morning at 1 a.m. PT--some 16 hours before the first Apple retail stores began selling the iPad 2--were quickly pushed from days into weeks. This left the best chance for customers who wanted to pick up a device before April being to head to one of Apple's stores, or its partner retailers such as Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and carrier stores for Verizon and AT&amp;T. Analysts like Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster are already setting estimates for first day sales somewhere between 400,000 to 500,000 units, some 200,000 better than the first iPad did during the same time period in its launch. Apple is expected to unveil preliminary unit sales on Monday, as it did on the Monday following the launch of the first iPad.Big numbersUntil those numbers come in, there are some signs this launch is off to a bigger start than that of the first-generation device. At Apple's flagship store in San Francisco for instance, which CNET was monitoring along with stores in Manhattan, the line practically ran out of room, as it wrapped almost around the city block. That store sold out of its entire stock of Wi-Fi-only units just a few hours after iPad 2 sales began, leaving evening line-waiters with only the option of buying the more expensive models with 3G service from Verizon. Worth noting is that this is the same store that had the richest supply of iPads following last year's shortages. It was the same story on the other side of the country, with the line outside New York's Fifth Avenue store growing to an estimated 800 people, with some having begun waiting in line on Wednesday night and braving torrential downpours. For one individual, that perseverance--as well as her spot at the front of the line--netted her $900 from someone else who didn't want to queue up.At least 200 people line up outside the Apple store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan yesterday, waiting for the iPad 2 to be released.(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)As with previous Apple launches, the art of the line wait has become a business. The first two spots at the San Francisco store went to &quot;runners&quot; for TaskRabbit, a service that specializes in sourcing out errands and other odd jobs to its workforce of vetted contractors. James Alimeda and Josh Elavitti were paid $60 per iPad they were waiting in line for, with each buying two. In Alimeda's case, he was already there to purchase one for himself. Those two, along with two others in line, were part of a much larger operation at various retailers to help people procure devices without putting in line time. Behind them was a group of around 35 non-English speaking line-waiters who managed to get an Apple store employee who could speak Cantonese to act as a translator, just a half-hour before iPad 2 sales began. According to a report on Bloomberg, their aim was to buy iPad 2s, all going to one single unidentified buyer, who planned to sell them on the gray market, likely at a premium and in places where the device was not yet available.The bicoastal wait for the iPad 2 (photos) Speaking of which, the iPad 2 goes on sale in 26 additional countries just two weeks from now, arguably giving gray market buyers from those areas less of an incentive to deal with international travel. However, given some of the initial demand from this first day, there's the possibility that Apple could once again decide to push that launch back, as it did for the first-generation device.The deviceOf course, why people were lining up in the first place is always on the minds of passers-by. One woman who walked past the line asked if there was someone famous playing a show there that evening. Others were seeing the device for the first time in an iPad 2 demo video Apple played in its retail store display. The iPad 2, which CNET has given a four-star rating in its review, is a refinement of the the first-generation device. It's thinner, it's got a faster processor and better graphics chops, and it's the same price. It's also got new features like dual video cameras and compatibility with new accessories like a neat cover that attaches to it with magnets and an AV cable that can mirror whatever you're doing onscreen to anything with an HDMI plug. For many buyers though, this second-generation device is something they were waiting for before pulling the trigger on the original iPad. That's what many buyers CNET talked to mentioned as being one of the big attractors. They know Apple's cyclical product release schedule by now and were counting on a refresh of a few key things, even if they didn't necessarily need them. There are things Apple could have added, but didn't. Though with lines like this on opening day, it seems the revamp offers enough.End of the lineAs is the question every time Apple sells a product with this much fanfare, why is there this big rush to get it on opening day And why can't Apple seem to meet demand when this happens again and again With the first iPad, this was easier to answer. It was a new product, in what had so far been a niche category. Apple seemingly didn't anticipate the demand, and thus was forced to play catch-up as it went on to make its way to a million units sold in under a month's time.This time around, however, Apple's got more retail stores, and a handful of retail partners on board to get what is likely to be more units out the door in a shorter amount of time. The original iPad has also proved to be an overwhelming success, with Apple selling more than 15 million of the devices. Even so, Apple had very subtly reconfigured its launch plans with this one to encourage people to buy the device in person, doing new things like keeping online purchases from starting until the day it went on sale, while throwing in the usual mix of temptations for buyers to come to its own stores, with food and drink for the wait in line and personalized setup (the free service that has retail employees getting new iPads up and running before buyers leave the store--an important step considering the iPad, like theiPod Touch, first needs to be activated with iTunes before buyers can begin using it. The simplest answer to the mad rush, though, continues to be Apple's terrific marketing--one of the many things that separates Apple and its products from its competitors. For many who go through the wait, it's not just about the device, it's the experience that happens before they even break out their credit card, something that's hard to put a price tag on. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Malware-laden sites double from a year ago]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-malware-laden-sites-double-from-a-year-ago</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-malware-laden-sites-double-from-a-year-ago</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:55 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Emma01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-malware-laden-sites-double-from-a-year-ago</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The number of infected Web sites tracked by Dasient has doubled in the past year to more than one million. (Credit:Dasient)More than 1 million Web sites were believed to be infected with malware in the fourth quarter of last year, nearly double from the previous year, according to figures released today by Dasient.  Malvertising, advertising containing malware, also is on the rise, with impressions doubling to 3 million per day from the third quarter of 2010, Dasient said in a blog post.  &quot;The probability that an average Internet user will hit an infected page after three months of Web browsing is 95 percent,&quot; the company said.  The news corresponds with information released this week by another security firm. An analysis of than 3,000 Web sites across 400 organizations last year found that 44 percent of them had serious vulnerabilities at all times, while 24 percent were frequently vulnerable for an average of at least 270 days a year, according to WhiteHat Security, which provides Web site testing and security services for companies. Meanwhile, only 16 percent of the sites examined were found to be rarely vulnerable, the report said.  About 64 percent of those sites had at least one information leakage vulnerability, which inched past Cross-site scripting as the most prevalent vulnerability, WhiteHat said.  Neither WhiteHat nor Dasient identified the Web sites they analyzed or disclosed whether any of the biggest Web brands were among those with malware or vulnerabilities.  Dasient researchers wanted to see how easy it would be to spread malware on social-networking sites and created some test accounts to spread various types of links. More than 80 percent of the dozen unidentified sites it tested allowed through links that were on Google's Safe Browsing list, while all of them allowed through links that led to a benign drive-by download.  In another test, the researchers posted an ad whose click-through links led to a benign drive-by download and found that the social-networking site kept the ad up for more than three weeks before pulling it. The ad had the headline &quot;Click for a security test,&quot; led to a site at &quot;hackerhome.org,&quot; and said a Windows calculator would pop up if the computer was vulnerable. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Jolicloud changes name and direction]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jolicloud-changes-name-and-direction</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jolicloud-changes-name-and-direction</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Pooja01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jolicloud-changes-name-and-direction</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Jolicloud will have a new name and direction, according to comments made yesterday by project founder Tariq Krim. The Jolicloud operating system--touted for its HTML5 and cloud sync capabilities--will be known as Joli OS &quot;to avoid confusion&quot; and Jolicloud will be used to refer to the online desktop, Krim said in a blog post.Despite the successes--which include 300,000  account registrations since August--of the Jolicloud desktop, Krim said it was imperative to &quot;expand our experience beyond our own OS to be relevant on other platforms.&quot; Read more of &quot;Jolicloud changes name and direction&quot; at ZDNet UK. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.3 Gingerbread update leaked]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-galaxy-s-android-2-3-gingerbread-update-leaked</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-galaxy-s-android-2-3-gingerbread-update-leaked</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ismarterguy</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-galaxy-s-android-2-3-gingerbread-update-leaked</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:SamFirmware)The Samsung Galaxy S is officially still chilling with Android 2.2 Froyo. But if you're fed up with frozen yogurt and you want to try a little Gingerbread, an update to bump up the phone to Android 2.3.2 has appeared online at the SamFirmware forum.Read more of &quot;Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.3 Gingerbread update leaked&quot; at Crave UK. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Windows Live Mesh: 2.2 petabytes served]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-live-mesh-2-2-petabytes-served</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-live-mesh-2-2-petabytes-served</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>EmbotFloott</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-live-mesh-2-2-petabytes-served</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft has issued a progress report on its Live Mesh sync tool since it was wrapped up with the Live Sync tool last year, saying that it's now being used by 3 million people who have connected 5 million devices. Collectively that amounts to 2.2 petabytes of data, the company said in a blog post today. Microsoft first launched Live Mesh at the Web 2.0 Expo in 2008 as an ambitious sync service aimed at ferrying data across a number of devices, be it PCs or Macs. It's since gone on to become a part of Windows Live Essentials, Microsoft's suite of free software tools. Along with the update about how many people were using the tool, Director of Windows Live product management Dharmesh Mehta took a healthy swing at Google, without actually naming the company:This marks an important moment in the steady transition to a world where people will use a blend of cloud services &amp; PC-based apps together. As a company, we believe this trend will continue as people seek a personal balance in how they manage their data across multiple devices and services.This is in contrast to those who believe that it's a cloud-only world and that everything should and will live online. It's a simple idea, but our customers tell us they want a choice in what works best for them.Zing!There is one footnote here about the choice issue though' that being the expiration of Live Mesh's beta at the end of this month. With that change ends support for Windows XP. Users first learned of the March 31 beta deadline for that change shortly after the announcement that the tool had been finalized.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Element's iPhone 4 Vapor Case goes Pro]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=elements-iphone-4-vapor-case-goes-pro</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=elements-iphone-4-vapor-case-goes-pro</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pseudostoler</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=elements-iphone-4-vapor-case-goes-pro</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This &amp;39'first run&amp;39' collector&amp;39's edition of the Vapor Pro costs $149.99.(Credit:Element Case)We wrote last year about how Element's swanky $79.99 Vapor Case was becoming something of a vanity case foriPhone 4 owners. That said, while the case looked sleek, some users complained it was less than perfect and experienced reception issues when using it. Element claims to have fixed those issues, and has now added a new, improved, redesigned Vapor Pro iPhone 4 case that's being released first in a special collectors' edition that costs a whopping $149.99.What makes it worth $149.99 We're not sure, but we're told it's made out of expensive materials and some parts are hand-tooled. Read these marketing bullet points from the company to get a sense of its value: Wider access ports on top and bottom for compatibility with a wide range of headphones, earbuds, and third party charging cables.A special, aerospace polymer section built over the antenna contact points eliminates &quot;death-grip&quot; issues and improves Wi-Fi, GPS and 3G reception (note: we haven't tested the case yet, so we don't know if this is true).A unique, diagonally attached design with bolts now positioned at opposite corners of the phone.A &quot;beautiful,&quot; perforated SIM card slot with accents on the broad side opposite silence and volume controls. (Note: who knew a perforated SIM card slot could be beautiful)Unique titanium alloy finishes.A special hex key tool for removal and installation that can now be carried on your key ring for easy accessibility. (Woo-hoo.)Element says this limited &quot;first run&quot; collectors' edition includes a zippered carrying case and that aforementioned keyring installation tool. Subsequent models for theVerizon iPhone, more colors, and other back plates will be released in the coming weeks.Who wants one Or rather, who can afford one <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sub du jour goes all-electric]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sub-du-jour-goes-all-electric</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sub-du-jour-goes-all-electric</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:11:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Eleen</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sub-du-jour-goes-all-electric</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Battery pack lets Ego cruise for up to eight hours.(Credit:Raonhaje)This sub could make even Philippe Cousteau, with so many water toys at his disposal, a little jealous.The Ego &quot;compact semi-submarine&quot; from Raonhaje--showcased at the Miami Boat Show last week--functions as both a motor boat and as a sub that seats two just below the water's surface.Instead of using a rudder and outboard motor, both the Ego LE (luxury edition) and the Ego SE (standard edition) are run by electric podded propulsion with a battery-powered BLDC (Brushless DC electric motor).The completely battery-powered sub uses a Trojan T-890 battery pack--a golf-cart battery--that allows the boat to run for up to eight hours at moderate cruising or about four hours at top speed between charges, according to company specs.But the owner better be able to dock it near an outlet overnight as Raonhaje specs also say it takes about six to nine hours to fully recharge the battery pack.The Ego is both a motor boat and a sub.(Credit:Raonhaje)Other accessories on the boat include an LED battery gauge, a digital depth sounder, and a front/back switch to cruise in both directions.It also has an LCD screen fed by an onboard camera for viewing your above-board surroundings when you are down below.Offered in such colors as Persian Pink and French Rose, the Ego seems to be marketed as a leisure toy and not the kind of boat for scientists. But Korea-based Raonhaje says the vessel can be fully outfitted with equipment for research purposes.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Deep offshore wind sized up]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=deep-offshore-wind-sized-up</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=deep-offshore-wind-sized-up</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:11:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rockyraj1919</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=deep-offshore-wind-sized-up</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:University of Maine/James W. Sewall Company)Deep offshore wind could produce energy for 8-10 cents per kilowatt within 10 years, according to a report released today from the University of Maine and DeepCWind.org.The extensive 557-page report (PDF) represents a collaboration between the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine, and the James W. Sewall Company, but was funded with a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.The report includes input from several members of DeepCWind.org, a consortium of companies, manufacturers, environmentalist groups, and academic institutions related to the offshore wind industry.More interesting than how inexpensive offshore wind might become is the legal challenge such an undertaking could face.As well as a feasibility study for the Maine's coastal region in particular, the report delves into what the U.S. government and private companies may or may not be able to build in terms of deep offshore wind sites with an interconnection to a common grid, or with a series of independent grids.Things become complicated depending on whether the offshore pilings and turbines are foreign-made and how they're connected, though this could actually be a boon to U.S. manufacturers and workers.Three types of deep offshore wind designs are under development from the DeepCwind Consortium at the University of Maine Deepwater Offshore Wind Test Site.(Credit:DeepCWind.org)The report asserts that deep offshore wind farms attached to the seabed could legally be treated as U.S. &quot;ports,&quot; while turbines built as floating entities could be treated as &quot;vessels,&quot; both of which would be subject to the Jones Act (aka the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) and other maritime regulations and cabotage laws, many of which have been in place for over a century.The report says that one cabotage law dictates that &quot;75 percent of the crew on United States flagged vessels be United States citizens and/or permanent residents.&quot; Another law states that &quot;a vessel may not provide any part of the transportation of merchandise by water, or by land and water, between points in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port, unless the vessel--(1) is wholly owned by citizens of the United States for purposes of engaging in the coastwise trade' and (2) has been issued a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement [by the Coast Guard],&quot; according to the report.&quot;At least 75 percent of the ownership of the vessels must lie in the hands of American citizens. This requirement becomes complicated when confronted with the realities of modern-day vessel ownership, which is often done by corporation or trust, with complex lease and mortgage contracts,&quot; said the report.Under certain circumstances the U.S. Secretary of Defense can waive cabotage laws. Companies and other U.S. agencies can petition for waivers, and have succeeded in certain historical situations, but the process is controversial, costly, and takes a long time, according to the report.One can see how such laws might present a problem in an age when European investment in offshore wind projects and Asian manufacturing of wind turbine technology overshadows U.S. wind interest.&quot;Because the installation of offshore wind turbines requires specialized vessels and portside infrastructure, both of which are currently lacking in the United States, the cabotage laws--which restrict the use of foreign vessels in American waters--stand to play a crucial role in offshore wind farm development,&quot; said the report.The report also found that deep offshore wind sites would involve the jurisdiction of more than a dozen U.S. agencies in various ways from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Customs and Border Patrol division of Homeland Security.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[If only the Shaving Helmet were real]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=if-only-the-shaving-helmet-were-real</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=if-only-the-shaving-helmet-were-real</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>MichelleSampson</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=if-only-the-shaving-helmet-were-real</guid>
<description><![CDATA[If you're a chrome dome and hate shaving your pate, the Shaving Helmet looks like a godsend. It automatically lathers and shaves off your stubble, leaving your scalp smooth as an egg.  It takes only 20 seconds and doesn't even leave a scratch--as seen in the video. Too bad it's a well-played hoax.The guys behind it produced an almost credible helmet with moving parts and lights. The inventor Boris, a cue ball himself, gives us some nice techno-babble about &quot;Teflon-coated aluminum rails&quot; and &quot;LED progress indicators.&quot; With some camera trickery, they make it look believable. The Huffington Post sure swallowed it. In the video, a man with a bit of scalp hair agrees to demonstrate the helmet. The camera pans to Boris explaining the how it works. When the helmet is taken off the test subject, he has a nicely shaved pate, shaving cream and all. Some readers immediately called it a humbug, suggesting the man who puts on the helmet and the one who takes it off are not the same person. Sure enough, someone has posted a photo of the identical twins who seem to pull a fast one in the vid.You can see them in post 21 on NeoGaf. If you think about it, everyone's cranium has a unique shape, and it would be very tricky to get the blades to automatically shave closely without cutting the scalp. Still, it's a cool idea. A pity it's a canard, because some of my friends could really use a Shaving Helmet. Anyone care to invent a real one and apply for a patent(Via Dvice)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Detroit mayor: 'No RoboCop statue'' Geeks: 'Grrr']]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=detroit-mayor-no-robocop-statue-geeks-grrr</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=detroit-mayor-no-robocop-statue-geeks-grrr</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winbugpnos2u</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=detroit-mayor-no-robocop-statue-geeks-grrr</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Even Seattle has a Jimi Hendrix statue.(Credit:Twitter/Matt Hickey)Detroit Mayor Dave Bing has shot down on Twitter an idea for the last remaining thing that would have gotten me to visit that city again. He said there are no plans to erect a statue of RoboCop.RoboCop, of course, is the titular character in one of the greatest films of all time. Set in postindustrial Detroit, the movie presents the half-man half-bot police officer as a fighter for truth and justice--even if it means going above the law (and other cliches).It's an iconic film that could be considered a pinnacle of the ultraviolent action cinema of the '80s. And it was directed by the great Paul Verhoeven, the mastermind behind &quot;Showgirls&quot; (go on, I dare you to dis &quot;Showgirls&quot;)' &quot;Starship Troopers'&quot; and &quot;Basic Instinct.&quot; There's nothing he's done that's bad, and &quot;RoboCop&quot; is perhaps his finest work.Bing had asked the people of the Internet for ideas on how to help with the city's revival. A user, @MT, suggested the statue, as Philly has one of Rocky. A RoboCop statue, @MT posits, would &quot;kick Rocky's butt.&quot; I tend to agree.Sadly, Bing doesn't appear to. His response was &quot;There are not any plans to erect a statue to Robocop [sic]. Thank you for your suggestion.&quot; Twitter, predictably, went crazy with tweets and retweets by those in support of just such a statue. I am now one of them.&quot;Duh. Of course Detroit should get a Robocop statue,&quot; wrote one Twitter user. Said another: &quot;The Robocop statue in Detroit should be at least double the size of the Statue of Liberty.&quot; There is also a Facebook group, almost 1,300 strong as of this writing, in favor of a RoboCop statue in downtown Detroit. Mayor Bing, I am among those who can think of no better symbol for the revival of Detroit than the badass part-robo, all-cop who helped bring order to a crime-ridden Detroit in an epic film. Please reconsider.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[App for iPhone tells you where to get naked]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=app-for-iphone-tells-you-where-to-get-naked</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=app-for-iphone-tells-you-where-to-get-naked</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>microappartement</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=app-for-iphone-tells-you-where-to-get-naked</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Comic Sans doesn&amp;39't lend any credibility, I&amp;39'm sorry to say.(Credit:American Association For Nude Recreation)Apple has for some reason seen fit to approve aniPhone app that helps nudists find one another. Developed by Simply Basic Software, AANRmobile is the official app for the American Association for Nude Recreation, which says it boasts up to 50,000 members and more than 260 resorts nationwide. That's a lot of skin.The app isn't that scandalous, really. It has no images and no links to images of nudity, which, based on the nudists I've known in Olympia, Wash., is perhaps a good thing.It does include an FAQ regarding recreational nudity (which I think is different than professional nudity, but I'm no expert). It also has a nudist club directory and a list of popular nude activities, like nude volleyball, all for some reason using the Comic Sans font.It's free, it's available now, and hopefully it can help you find other like-minded naked people. Myself, I'm going to go shopping for an overcoat, a sweater, some pants, a hat, and one of everything else at Banana Republic.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CNET's full Verizon iPhone coverage]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cnets-full-verizon-iphone-coverage</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cnets-full-verizon-iphone-coverage</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>MassTortAmerica</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cnets-full-verizon-iphone-coverage</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)Hello,VerizoniPhone 4. You've been a long time in the works--several years, in fact--but now we know that you officially exist. We're glad to meet you at last, and we're glad that U.S. wireless customers now have a choice in carriers. We know that many of you are also eager to welcome Apple's newest family member. And we know that you have a lot of questions about what the Verizon iPhone is and how well it performs. Hopefully, CNET can answer your queries in the following coverage.CNET's Verizon iPhone 4 reviewIn our full review, we tell you about the Verizon's unique design elements. We put its hot-spot feature to the test, and we compare its overall performance with its AT&amp;T counterpart. Here's a hint: it beats AT&amp;T on many fronts.The Verizon iPhone makes more callsCNET tests the Verizon and AT&amp;T iPhones to see which handset is more successful at making calls. Verizon won the majority of the time, but AT&amp;T put up a fight.Verizon iPhone 4 (photos) Comparing voice quality on the iPhone 4Which iPhone 4 offers better audio quality You be the judge, as CNET takes audio samples from the two handsets and puts them side by side.Verizon iPhone versus AT&amp;T iPhone data speeds: CNET's winner is...Is the Verizon iPhone as fast and as powerful as devotees had hoped CNET's video breaks down timed speed tests against the AT&amp;T iPhone on four counts.Seven things the Verizon iPhone doesn't haveThe Verizon iPhone may answer some peoples' smartphone prayers, but it isn't without its caveats.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google Shopper app hits the iPhone]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-shopper-app-hits-the-iphone</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-shopper-app-hits-the-iphone</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>wanbimsiryy85</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-shopper-app-hits-the-iphone</guid>
<description><![CDATA[iPhone users can now rely on Google for a helping hand the next time they go shopping.(Credit:Google)The search giant yesterday launched a version of its free Google Shopper app for theiPhone. The app, which has been available for Android users the past year, is essentially a mobile search engine for products, letting you compare prices and read reviews before you open your wallet.The app offers several ways to search for products. You can type the name of the item in the search field. You can snap a photo of a book, CD, DVD, or video game or of a product's barcode. Or you can speak the name of the product.In return, Google Shopper reveals a list of stores, both online and offline, that sell your chosen item along with their respective prices.Tapping on a particular store drills down further where you can read product details, check out customer reviews, and bounce between a list of local retailers and online merchants who offer the item. Drilling down even further to certain retailers, such as Best Buy, the app can check on inventory at your local stores to tell you where you can find the item.The app keeps a history list so you can always return to any past search. You can also mark your favorite products with a gold star, putting them into their own easily accessible category. Finally, you can share the details of any product you find with other people via Facebook, Twitter, or Google Reader, the company's online RSS feeder.Google's description says the app requires iOS 4.0 and is compatible only with the iPhone and the fourth generationiPod Touch.I tried Google Shopper with a variety of products, using text, voice, and photos, and the app performed nicely. It did have trouble at times picking up product barcodes through my iPod Touch 4G, but no problem zeroing in on the front cover of CDs, books, and similar items. Once it found the product, it typically showed me a lengthy list of retail outlets where I could buy it, even tapping into auctions from eBay.Google Shopper is part of a growing list of similar mobile apps that deliver prices, names of retailers, and other details on a wide array of products.Amazon released a Price Check app in November, which like Google Shopper, lets you find products by text, voice, or scanning the front of a product or its barcode. Another app called Scandit helps you track down products by scanning their barcodes. eBay also lets you search for products by scanning their barcodes, both through its own iPhone app and RedLaser, an app it acquired last year.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Portable device lets travelers make mobile calls over the Net]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=portable-device-lets-travelers-make-mobile-calls-over-the-net</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=portable-device-lets-travelers-make-mobile-calls-over-the-net</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>albertabbb</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=portable-device-lets-travelers-make-mobile-calls-over-the-net</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The new personal femtocell from Ubiquisys.(Credit:Ubiquisys)A new portable device will soon be able to help people make cell phone calls in other countries without relying on local 3G networks.That bit of technical magic comes courtesy of a new device called an attocell, or a personal femotcell. Created by U.K.-based femtocell company Ubiquisys, the device is a small base station that can provide broadband Internet access to aniPhone, BlackBerry, Android phone, and virtually any other 3G mobile phone. But since it's smaller than a traditional femtocell, the attocell is designed to be portable.The attocell from Ubiquisys connects to a laptop through a USB port, providing both the juice and the Internet access, according to Ubiquisys. From there, the device figures out which country it's in so it can determine the allowable 3G power consumption, which then dictates the range of the attocell to the phone. Depending on the country, the 3G range of the device could be as small as a fraction of an inch or as large as an entire room.If the range is small, the user can place the phone on top of the device and make calls via a headset or speaker. Otherwise, the caller is free to roam around the room.Through the attocell, the phone can bypass local cellular networks and hop onto the Internet to make and receive calls, thus allowing for calls both locally and abroad where reliable 3G connections aren't available.To learn more about the attocell, I spoke with Keith Day, the vice president of marketing for Ubiquisys. Day explained the benefits of the device, especially for travelers.&quot;If you're a U.S. citizen and you're doing a phone call from a hotel in Rome, for example, the call will be indistinguishable from a call in the U.S,&quot; he said.Beyond bypassing local 3G networks, the device could also potentially mean no more roaming charges. Though the technology makes that a possibility, Day said that the decision on roaming charges and other costs will be up to the carriers that offer the product. But he did acknowledge that when he himself travels, he'll use a VoIP service such as Skype to make calls rather than rely on mobile calls with expensive roaming charges.Ubiquisys considers the attocell a working product and is talking to different mobile carriers interested in selling it. The price of the attocell will be up to the carriers, but Day confirmed that it costs no more to manufacture than low-cost residential femtocells. Prices for traditional residential femtocells dropped below $100 last year, according to Ubiquisys.Other tech companies have been jumping onto the femtocell bandwagon, often as a way to reduce the strain on their overtired cell networks. Last year, AT&amp;amp'T rolled out its 3G MicroCell &quot;signal booster&quot; as one solution for subscribers disgruntled over poor cellular coverage. Sprint and Verizon Wireless also offer their own femtocell devices.Ubiquisys plans to demo the new attocell at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona .<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report finds smart-grid security lacking]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-finds-smart-grid-security-lacking</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-finds-smart-grid-security-lacking</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>vacationspot1</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-finds-smart-grid-security-lacking</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This illustration from the GAO report shows the topography of a smart grid.(Credit:GAO)Echoing concerns of security experts, a new report from the Government Accountability Office warns that smart-grid systems are being deployed without built-in security features. Certain smart meters have not been designed with a strong security architecture and lack important security features like event logging and forensics capabilities used to detect and analyze cyberattacks, while smart-grid home area networks that manage electricity usage of appliances also lack adequate built-in security, according to the report (PDF) released last week by the GAO, the auditing and investigative arm of the U.S. Congress. &quot;Without securely designed smart-grid systems, utilities will be at risk of not having the capacity to detect and analyze attacks, which increases the risk that attacks will succeed and utilities will be unable to prevent them from recurring,&quot; said the report.  The report also took aim at the self-regulatory nature of the industry, saying utilities are focusing on complying with minimum regulatory requirements rather than having adequate security to prevent cyberattacks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology &quot;does not have a definitive plan and schedule, including specific milestones, for updating and maintaining its cybersecurity guidelines to address key missing elements,&quot; the report concluded. One of the important elements NIST has failed to address is the risk of attacks that use both cyber and physical means, the report said.  &quot;Furthermore, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has not established an approach coordinated with other regulators to monitor the extent to which industry is following the smart-grid standards it adopts,&quot; the report said. &quot;The voluntary standards and guidelines developed through the NIST and FERC processes offer promise. However, a voluntary approach poses some risks when applied to smart-grid investments, particularly given the fragmented nature of regulatory authority over the electricity industry.&quot;  In comments on the report that were included as an appendix, the Department of Commerce--which oversees NIST--says NIST &quot;agrees that the risk of combined cyber-physical attacks on the smart grid is an area that needs to be more fully explored in the future.&quot;  Meanwhile, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said in comments included in an appendix to the report that he will ask his staff to evaluate ways to improve coordination among regulators and assess whether challenges identified in the report should be addressed in FERC's cybersecurity efforts, but will need to work within the commission's statutory authority.  The goal of the smart grid is to improve reliability and efficiency by incorporating information technology systems into power lines and customer meters for monitoring power distribution and usage without having to send operators into the field. (Via Threatpost) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[British Library app brings Beowulf, The Beatles]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=british-library-app-brings-beowulf-the-beatles</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=british-library-app-brings-beowulf-the-beatles</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:10:55 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Renata86</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=british-library-app-brings-beowulf-the-beatles</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Bewoulf, as viewed in the iPhone version of the British Library&amp;39's Treasures app(Credit:British Library)Injecting some high-brow culture into a smartphone realm more characterized by people texting at dinner and playing video games on the subway, the British Library has released an application to allow exploration of some of its collection.OK, so perhaps it won't mean people rushing to read Beowulf in the original Old English from 1,000 years ago. But it's nice to know the option is there, and the application comes with commentary from experts such as a video on Beowulf by linguist David Crystal.In any event, it is encouraging at least to this history and museum fan that the Treasures app gives a new digital lease on life to a wide range of historic cultural artifacts. The app will cost $4 foriPhone and Android and $6 foriPad once a half-price promotion ends January 24. Among Treasures' subjects:&amp;149' The Gutenberg Bible, Lindisfarne Gospels, and Sultan Baybars' Qur'an'&amp;149' Handwritten lyrics by The Beatles'&amp;149' Original scores by Mozart, Schubert, Handel, and Purcell'&amp;149' Charles Dickens' handwritten draft of &quot;Nicholas Nickleby&quot;'&amp;149' The writings of Jane Austen as a teenager'&amp;149' The battle plan of Admiral Horatio Nelson before beating the French at the Battle of Trafalgar'&amp;149' Letters by Galileo and notebooks from Leonardo da Vinci'&amp;149' Oracle bones from China about 2,000 years ago'&amp;149' And it's the British Library, so of course there has to be a version of the Magna Carta from 1215.I had problems running the app on an AndroidNexus One phone, though. First came a seemingly interminably waiting spinner. Next came a note that assets would have to be downloaded to my SD card, a bugaboo of the Nexus One's limited internal memory. Fine--but then the installation progress bar crawled up to 19 percent over something like an hour.Update 9:17 a.m. PT: After a little more futzing, I got the app to work better. Although an initial installation on an LG Optimus One faltered the same way as on the Nexus One, with the download eventually stopping altogether and the application not able to show any pictures or play any video or audio, a reinstallation went better.And I understand better why the download went so slowly: If you set the Android app to download all assets, it's a 1.16GB chunk of data. An option to download just photos is much smaller but obviously misses out on a lot of data.Happily, things are better on iOS. &quot;Our iPhone and iPad users...are not required to download all the assets and can stream the larger media files, such as images and video,&quot; said Sayoko Knight Teitelbaum, a representative of Toura, which helped develop the app. &quot; However, Android requires a user to download all...I believe there may be some changes in Honeycomb [the upcoming Android 3.0] that could help.&quot;A redesigned update to the Android version is due later this quarter, Teitelbaum said. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: All eyes on Ford's electric Focus]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-all-eyes-on-fords-electric-focus</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-all-eyes-on-fords-electric-focus</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>feadseteoma</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-all-eyes-on-fords-electric-focus</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ford CEO Alan Mulally introduces the Ford Focus Electric.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Ford CEO Alan Mulally introduced the automaker's first-ever zero-emissions vehicle Friday in his keynote address at the 2011 CES convention in Las Vegas: The Focus Electric, a new version of the little sedan which Ford says offers better mileage than the Chevy Volt and charges twice as fast as the Nissan Leaf.&quot;This is our first ever gas-free, zero carbon dioxide emissionscar,&quot; Mulally said. &quot;(It's) a great step forward in electrification, and part of an even more comprehensive plan for bringing affordable fuel efficiency technology to millions of people around our world.&quot;It was Mulally's third consecutive time giving a keynote talk at theCES trade show' this time, there was huge applause when Consumer Electronics Association president and CEO, announcing Mulally, mentioned the fact that Ford had made it through the recent economic crisis without a government bailout.The Focus Electric will launch later this year and is considered to be the flagship vehicle in a collection of electrified Ford cars that the company says will number five by 2012. The car has a top speed of 84 miles per hour, but Ford did not disclose the range that it can drive before needing a recharge.Focus vehicles for the U.S. market will be assembled in Ford's Michigan plant, &quot;production powered in part by one of the largest solar energy generator systems in the state&quot; according to a release.Ford executives hyped up the car's &quot;holistic vehicle ownership experience,&quot; as Sherif Marakby, director of Ford's electrification programs and engineering, called it: an improved version of Ford's MyFord Touch console, with specialized SmartGauge display technology to help car owners drive more efficiently and see a &quot;range view&quot; to determine how far they are from a charging station' &quot;value charging,&quot; a new partnership with Microsoft to calculate the most cost-efficient charging options by taking advantage of off-peak and discounted utility rates' and MyFord Mobile, a new mobile app that lets Focus Electric owners find charging stations (through a partnership with the AOL-owned MapQuest), determine the best charging times, unlock the car doors, and even post electric-driving achievements to social-networking sites.Ford says that it is working with utility companies to work on handling the demand that plug-in vehicles will place on the electrical grid, and that for customer convenience it expects that the number of public charging systems in US will rise from 1,800 (mostly in California) to 12,000. At-home charging stations will be serviced through a partnership with Best Buy's Geek Squad.More of Ford's green auto plans will be revealed later this month at the North American Auto Show, said Ford head of global product development Derrick Kuzak when he joined Mulally onstage in the keynote address. &quot;But the new Focus just felt more at home at CES,&quot; he said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple doesn't want to reveal CEO succession plans]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-doesnt-want-to-reveal-ceo-succession-plans</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-doesnt-want-to-reveal-ceo-succession-plans</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>gsambermgm</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-doesnt-want-to-reveal-ceo-succession-plans</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Steve Jobs addressed the state of his health during an Apple event in October 2008. (Credit:James Martin/CNET)Apple is once again being asked to discuss what the company would do without CEO Steve Jobs. Apple said today in regulatory filings that it was informed that Central Laborers' Pension Fund, which owns over 11,000 shares of Apple stock, plans to submit a proposal at Apple's annual shareholder's meeting on February 23, that if passed would require Apple to &quot;adopt and disclose a written and detailed succession planning policy.&quot; Apple's board of directors said in the filings that it has recommended shareholders vote against the proposal. They say they have already established a succession plan and disclosing it publicly would only hurt the company's ability to retain and recruit top executive talent. Apple wrote that competitors could poach top Apple execs who learn they aren't in line for the top jobs or those execs might leave voluntarily. Few leaders are as closely identified with their companies as Jobs. Some shareholders appear to get nervous anytime there's a debate about what the company's prospects are without him. In the event that Jobs won't or can't continue with his duties, some shareholders want to know how Apple would respond. Those plans haven't been publicly disclosed. The debate took on a greater urgency after Apple revealed that Jobs underwent a liver transplant in 2009. As part of Central Laborers' plan, Apple's board would be required to &quot;develop criteria for the CEO position which will reflect the company's business strategy and will use a formal assessment process to evaluate candidates&quot; as well as identify and develop top candidates from within the company. The proposal also calls for Apple to maintain nonemergency and emergency succession plans. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[China crackdown on porn shutters 60,000 sites]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=china-crackdown-on-porn-shutters-60000-sites</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=china-crackdown-on-porn-shutters-60000-sites</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jan 2011 08:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rettymo</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=china-crackdown-on-porn-shutters-60000-sites</guid>
<description><![CDATA[China claims to be making progress in its fight against Internet pornography.More than 60,000 Web sites were shut down and about 350 million pieces of pornographic and indecent content were eliminated from the Internet in 2010, the country's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Thursday. Police investigated 2,197 cases involving 4,965 people suspected of disseminating pornography via the Internet or cell phone in violation of China law, according to the report. Of those suspects, 58 received jail sentences of five or more years, according to the report.Wang Chen, head of the State Council Information Office, heralded the campaign as successful and necessary. &quot;Our campaign has been a great success and this has not been achieved easily,&quot; Wang said at a news conference, according to a  Reuters report . &quot;We have made the Internet environment much cleaner than before as there was a lot of pornography available.&quot;As long as there are people with bad motives who want to spread violent or pornographic information, we will have to continue our campaign to resolutely crack down on the spread of such information,&quot; he said.Police also confiscated more than 37 million pirated items, including DVDs and books, Xinhua reported.China, which boasts the world's largest Internet base with 450 million users, implemented new regulations in 2010 regarding cell phone users and Web site operators that were designed to aid police in their investigations. In September, China began requiring cell phone users (including foreign tourists) to provide identification when they set up a new account. And in February, the government announced that Web site operators will need to submit photographs of themselves and meet Internet service providers in person.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[First-person combat and true-to-life racing: iPhone apps of the week]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=first-person-combat-and-true-to-life-racing-iphone-apps-of-the-week</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=first-person-combat-and-true-to-life-racing-iphone-apps-of-the-week</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dieterwinkel</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=first-person-combat-and-true-to-life-racing-iphone-apps-of-the-week</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)This week, over at our Signal Strength blog, Maggie Reardon answered questions from readers regarding the upcoming VerizoniPhone. The article is not about the iPhone specifically, but about how a mass exodus from AT&amp;T to Verizon might effect both carriers.I got the iPhone 4 when it was launched, knowing that I would have to stick with AT&amp;T for two years, but obviously, I had little choice as an iPhone app reviewer. Like many who got the iPhone 4 near launch day, I was sad to hear later that I missed the chance to get an iPhone with Verizon, which many say has the best network. But Maggie has an interesting point: With a mass exodus from AT&amp;T, it will probably mean that those stuck in contracts will experience significantly better signal strength with a lot less users clogging up the network. Also, current Verizon customers have to wonder just how much a huge influx of iPhone users will effect the historically strong Verizon network.I suppose we'll have to wait and see what effects a Verizon iPhone will have on each carrier, but you have to admit it's heartening to hear that AT&amp;T users might be getting better service as a result of the Verizon iPhone. Hopefully both carriers will benefit from the change so all of us finally get good connection speeds.This week's apps include the sequel to one of the best racing games for iPhone and the debut of an FPS game formerly only available on desktop computers and consoles.Smooth and beautiful graphics make Real Racing 2 a site to behold as you make your way around the track.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Real Racing 2 ($9.99) is the long awaited sequel to popular driving game, Real Racing ($4.99), and it definitely lives up to all the hype over the past few weeks. I was fortunate enough to get an early copy, so I've been putting it through its paces all week, and I'm definitely impressed. Like the original game, Real Racing 2 offers the same sensitive accelerometer steering that feels just right on the iPhone. But there are a lot of new features in this sequel that make it even better than the original.One of the biggest changes is the ability to drive real-worldcars' Firemint managed to get 30 officially licensed cars, and each car sounds and drives like its real-world counterpart. You also can take part in auto-matched 16 player online races, though you'll want to have a solid connection over Wi-Fi or 3G to be competitive. You also can compete in 8-player local Wi-Fi races for the most seamless multiplayer experience.The original Real Racing was known for its amazing graphics, and Real Racing 2 is even better with fairly high frame rates and realistic-looking lens flares and reflections as you tear around the track in one of 15 different locations. The single player game offers a lot of content, challenging you to compete in races to make money so you can purchase performance upgrades and new cars. You also compete in short head-to-head challenges where you'll earn a significant amount of money for winning single-lap races against an AI opponent.As you progress through the game you'll earn enough money to buy faster more expensive cars, such as the 2010 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 and the 2012 McLaren MP4-12C. You'll also have the option to purchase different-colored paint jobs so you can customize your car just the way you want it.Overall, Real Racing 2 is probably the best racing game in the iTunes App Store. With beautiful graphics, 30 real-life sports cars, 15 tracks, and 16-player online racing, this game is a must-have for driving game fans.As you progress through the campaign you&amp;39'll get a chance to drive and wreak havoc in several military vehicles.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (99 cents for a limited time) for iPhone is the first game from the popular Battlefield series to reach the iOS and it mostly hits the mark, but has a few issues. The control system is similar to other FPS games in the iTunes App Store with controls for movement on the left and the ability to look around on the right (you have 3 options for control layouts in settings). You also have controls for crouching behind objects for cover and a button for aiming down the sites of your guns for more accurate shots. Sadly, the game doesn't take advantage of the iPhone 4's gyroscope feature--an option now featured in most of the popular iPhone games in the FPS genre.In Battlefield: Bad Company 2 you have the option to fight your way through 14 missions in a single player campaign or play multiplayer games online. The campaign mode offers the usual fare of blowing away terrorists in a predictable, but fun storyline that will put your combat abilities to the test. But the multiplayer only allows for limited 2-4 player deathmatch or free-for-all games, and the server browser is clunky making it difficult to find and join matches.Unlike other games in the genre (and true to the Battlefield franchise), Battlefield: Bad Company 2 lets you take control of vehicles for even more firepower. You'll be able to use everything from armored personnel carriers to helicopters and tanks. An early part of the campaign has you driving an armored van with a gun turret on top--fun for its destructive power, but I found the driving controls to be a little awkward.Overall, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is pretty solid FPS experience in spite of its problems. The game looks and plays great in single player, but those looking for a rich online experience should probably look elsewhere. Right now, the game goes for 99 cents (it will be $9.99), so it's probably worth picking up in the hope that future updates will iron out the game's problems.What's your favorite iPhone app What's your favorite car to drive in Real Racing 2 Am I being too hard on Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Let me know in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google's Ngram Viewer: A time machine for wordplay]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-ngram-viewer-a-time-machine-for-wordplay</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-ngram-viewer-a-time-machine-for-wordplay</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>AfishaOnlink</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-ngram-viewer-a-time-machine-for-wordplay</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Google)The word &quot;spiderman&quot; appeared in books in the 1920s, long before the famed Marvel superhero debuted in the early '60s. And the term &quot;smartphone&quot; was in use during the first decade of the 20th century, a century before anyone picked up their firstiPhone.How do I know all this By using a new tool from Google called the Ngram Viewer. Launched by the search giant yesterday, this tool lets you trace the usage of a word or phrase during the past five centuries--five centuries!--by seeing how often it's appeared in books over that time span.Courtesy of the folks at Google Labs, Ngram Viewer can work its analysis as a result of Google's sometimes contentious digitization of vast quantities of books--more than 15 million since the project began in 2004. The Ngram tool draws on what the company calls &quot;a subset of that corpus&quot; totaling more than 5 million books, around 4 percent of all the books ever published. By tracing the 500 billion or so unique words that show up in those 5 million books, the tool can offer a glimpse into their history and popularity over the years.Ngram Viewer works rather simply. After you enter a word or phrase (up to five words), the tool displays a graph charting how frequently your term has appeared in books over that half a millennium. By default, the Ngram Viewer taps into books written in English. But you can change that to a different &quot;corpus&quot; or category of books, such as American English, British English, English Fiction, Chinese, French, German, Russian, or Spanish.You can vary the years tracked, all the way from 1500 to 2008 or anywhere in between. Providing a wide range of years gives you more of an overview, while narrowing the years lets the tool graph a word's usage in a more granular fashion year by year.You can enter multiple terms to compare their popularity. For example, typing the two terms &quot;frankfurter&quot; and &quot;hot dog&quot; shows that frankfurter's usage has remained steady over the years, but the hot dog has continued to jump in popularity since the early 1920s.But although the Ngram Viewer can tell you how frequently a certain word or phrase has shown up in books, it can't tell you why. Nor can it necessarily explain the meaning of that word or phrase at the time it was used. So discovering that the word &quot;android&quot; first appeared in books in the mid-18th century is interesting, but did it mean the same to an Enlightenment reader that it does to someone in the era of GoogleYou can, however, select a certain year or range of years to view a page that lists the books with your chosen word or phrase. By clicking on a specific book you can see the actually digitized pages, which in some cases can provide a bit of insight into how the word was used at the time.Researchers at Harvard University gave the project its helping hand by providing the actual datasets used to generate the information. An article on the new tool published online yesterday in Science Magazine calls it a &quot;quantitative analysis of culture using millions of digitized books.&quot;Though Ngram Viewer sounds like a tool more for scholars and linguists, anyone with a penchant for words and the history and evolution of language should enjoy taking it for a spin.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rare, transparent Mac SE not worth $25,000]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rare-transparent-mac-se-not-worth-25000</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rare-transparent-mac-se-not-worth-25000</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dermedikus</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rare-transparent-mac-se-not-worth-25000</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sometimes, the comparison just isn't apples to apples.A rare Apple-1 recently sold for $215,000. However, a rare, transparentMac SE couldn't even get $25,000 slipped into its garter.Which inevitably leads one to an examination of the word &quot;rare.&quot;There were, allegedly, around 200 Apple-1s created. There were, equally allegedly, only 10 transparent Mac SEs.And yet, in bidding that closed on Saturday, a transparent Mac SE failed to attract one bid of the $25,000 minimum on eBay.(Credit:Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)The seller, who says he worked in Apple R&amp;D in the 1908s, said the Mac SE was in &quot;ideal shape&quot; and that &quot;every component except for the on-board battery is original.&quot; Yes, the only way to boot it was from the 800k floppy drive. But surely this is a masterpiece of translucent joy.And yet, not one fanperson was prepared to dedicate a mere pittance for an iconic jewel that was created only for internal use. Yes, it is very possible that not one non-technophile's grubby mitts have ever been near this work of art.Many will, no doubt, have their own views about why one Apple rarity is worth hundreds of thousands and another cannot fetch the cost of a long and enjoyable weekend in Vegas.I have one theory for this discrepancy. While the Mac SE was cast into eBay's populist waters, the Apple-1 was placed into the delicate gloved hands of the hoi polloi at Christie's.Packaging is a rare art form.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Aquamarine lands ABB as investor for wave power]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aquamarine-lands-abb-as-investor-for-wave-power</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aquamarine-lands-abb-as-investor-for-wave-power</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sirrasuck252</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aquamarine-lands-abb-as-investor-for-wave-power</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Artist&amp;39's rendering of the Oyster 2 to be built and installed off the Orkney Islands by summer 2011.(Credit:Aquamarine Power)Scottish wave power company Aquamarine Power today said it raised funds to commercialize its wave power machine, including an investment from Swiss industrial giant ABB.Edinburgh-based Aquamarine secured $17.36 million, with $12.6 million coming from ABB, which has a large portfolio of products in the power utility sector.The investment from ABB is a significant endorsement for wave power, which is being pursued actively in the U.K. There is a European marine energy test site at the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland along with several other research efforts.&quot;Wave energy is primed to become an important part of the world's renewable energy portfolio,&quot; Brice Koch, the head of ABB marketing and customer solutions, said in a statement. &quot;This investment reflects our belief in its technical viability.&quot;Ocean power dips its toes in water (photos) Aquamarine is one of few companies in the wave and tidal power industry with machines generating electricity in the water. Its first product was connected to the grid about a year ago in Scotland for testing and the company is working on a second-generation.Its Oyster product is a large, clamshell-shaped machine. When the underwater &quot;hinged flap&quot; moves from the motion of waves, the device pumps water to a hydro-electric turbine on land to generate electricity. In the U.S. there appears to be an uptick in interest among energy entrepreneurs in tidal and wave energy, although the U.S. lags Europe in development and deployment. There are now 17 locations which are testing hydrokinetic devices, both wave and tidal, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. There are significant challenges to making functioning wave and tidal power devices, such as operating in harsh environments and understanding the potential effects on the local ecosystem. There's an effort in Massachusetts to establish a marine energy test bed off the coast of Cape Cod to test tidal power and offshore wind in order to gather environmental testing data and speed up the permitting process. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chevy Volt to pull combined 60 miles per gallon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chevy-volt-to-pull-combined-60-miles-per-gallon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chevy-volt-to-pull-combined-60-miles-per-gallon</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lamecheag</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chevy-volt-to-pull-combined-60-miles-per-gallon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[General Motors today detailed the highly anticipated fuel economy label for the Chevy Volt, and it varies greatly depending on driving habits.The EPA fuel economy label on the gas-electric Chevy Volt gives it a combined rating of 60 miles per gallon. There are separate ratings for electric-only driving, which is 93 &quot;miles per gallon equivalent,&quot; and for gas-only driving, which is 37 miles per gallon.Click to enlarge.(Credit:Screen shot by Martin LaMonica/CNET) On a full battery charge, the Chevy Volt, which GM hopes to start selling next month, drives about 35 miles. After that distance, a gas engine kicks in to run a generator that charges the battery. In a call with reporters, GM executives took pains to point out that mileage will vary greatly depending on how frequently drivers recharge. &quot;If you try to boil it down to a single number, it becomes quite difficult,&quot; said Tony DiSalle, Chevrolet product marketing director. The Volt label provides additional information geared at showing the variety in miles per gallon and cost per mile a driver can expect. It shows that the cost per mile ranges from 4 cents per mile for 30 miles up to 9 cents per mile on gas only. Miles per gallon of gasoline can be as high as 168 mpg for a distance of 45 miles.With the rating, the Volt qualifies as the bestcar in the compact-car category on fuel economy, and it rates relatively well on greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.Nissan on Monday announced that the all-electric Nissan Leaf will have a fuel economy rating of 99 mpg-equivalent. The Volt fuel economy in electric-only mode is 36 kilowatt hours per 100 miles, compared with 34 kilowatt hours per 100 miles for the Leaf.Last year, GM announced that it expected to get 230 miles per gallon on city driving. Today, GM executives said that rating was based on an earlier methodology from the Environmental Protection Agency.GM says that the electric range of the Volt will be between 25 miles and 50 miles depending on driving patterns, terrain, and weather conditions. The Volt label is unique in that it provides more information than a typical fuel economy label. GM expects that potential buyers for the $41,000, four-person sedan will be willing to spend some time understanding how mileage can vary, said Doug Parks, Chevrolet Volt's global vehicle line executive.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Taking an electric drive in the Volvo C30]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=taking-an-electric-drive-in-the-volvo-c30</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=taking-an-electric-drive-in-the-volvo-c30</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2010 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Geumdius</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=taking-an-electric-drive-in-the-volvo-c30</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Volvo C30 Drive Electric, plugged in between drives.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Volvo C30 Drive Electric (photos) The Los Angeles Auto Show maintains a green focus, with alternative drivetrains and electriccars dominating. So it is here that Volvo let us drive the electric version of its C30 model, known as the C30 Drive Electric.The car was waiting for us in a parking garage of the Los Angeles Convention Center, plugged in to an AC outlet through an extension cord. Volvo chose the C30 model for an electric drivetrain because it is the smallest and lightest car in the lineup, although by European standards this car is on the large side. It is an attractive design and offers the practicality of a hatchback. The cabin of the C30 Drive Electric showed the same premium quality we've come to expect from Volvo, with some rough bits hacked on for this electric version.CNET editor Wayne Cunningham drives the streets of LA in the electric Volvo C30.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Turning the key, we saw the instrument cluster light up and go through the same kind of boot process we've experienced in both the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt. The charge level read nearly full, not bad for a car that had been taken out all day on drives around downtown Los Angeles.Our Volvo minder told us to push the drive mode lever, a curving piece of metal that fit easily into our palm, back one time, putting the car into Drive. Unlike a standard shift lever, this drive selector had no gate, always popping back to its center position. With the car in Drive we pushed the accelerator, and in typical electric car fashion it moved smoothly and quietly forward, the feeling of instantaneous torque obvious. Letting off the accelerator caused the car to slow a little more than accounted for by friction, as the car's generator used the car's motion to regenerate electricity for the batteries. Pressing the brakes did not increase regeneration, but merely engaged the friction brakes. We would expect that Volvo could cause the brake pedal to initially activate strong regeneration, to maximize battery recharge, before engaging the friction brakes.The drive selector returns to its center position after each push or pull.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)While in Drive mode, we pushed the lever back once more, which put the car into what Volvo calls sailing mode. Intended for freeway and highway driving, this mode decouples regeneration, so lifting off the accelerator lets the car coast freely.As we drove, we found opportunity to push the accelerator to the floor, but on city streets only getting up to about 45 mph. The acceleration held up well to that point, but felt like it would drop off as speed increased.Taking it around corners, the low and centrally located weight of the battery packs became evident, making for good stability. Volvo says that the C30 Drive Electric has a 57/43 percent weight split between front and back. Although no perfectly balanced sports car, this C30 felt fine in the turns.With its 24kWh Enerdel battery pack, the C30 Drive Electric has a range of 94 miles. As with most electric cars today, recharge time is measured in hours, with the car intended for urban commuting rather than long hauls.Volvo is currently building versions of the car for fleet use by utilities and government agencies in Europe, and it looking to bring a small test fleet to California. No date has been determined for mass production at this time.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Home Energy Score program aims to boost retrofits]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=home-energy-score-program-aims-to-boost-retrofits</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=home-energy-score-program-aims-to-boost-retrofits</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shilpa</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=home-energy-score-program-aims-to-boost-retrofits</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Obama administration today launched of an energy efficiency program that will provide consumers with a home efficiency rating. Vice President Joe Biden, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and other officials announced that the initiative, called the Home Energy Score program, is now in pilot phase in ten communities. The DOE also announced a set of guidelines for home efficiency workers which provide specifications for high-quality work.The program is designed to encourage homeowners to make energy-saving upgrades and to jump-start the industry for home energy retrofits, Biden said in a statement. It will also include financing for homeowners and software that will let energy contractors give consumers the home efficiency equivalent of miles per gallon forcars.(Credit:U.S. Department of Energy)After an energy audit, the software system will generate a label, called a Home Energy Score, that rates on a scale of one to ten how much energy a home uses and what the potential energy savings can be after upgrades, such as adding insulation, air sealing, and more efficient heating and cooling. Having a numerical score will show consumers how much money they spend on energy annually and make them more likely to invest energy upgrades, Chu said in a statement. Based on the findings of the pilot program, the DOE expects to roll it out nationally next year.Consumers can apply for up to $25,000 in PowerSaver loans through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which expects that 24,000 homes will qualify during a two-year pilot program, according to USA Today. This home energy retrofit program follows a $5 billion weatherization investment that was part of the stimulus package last year. Another effort is Home Star, nicknamed Cash for Caulkers, which would provide rebates to consumers for investing in energy efficiency retrofits. Home Star was a component to different energy bills considered by members of Congress over the past two years but has not yet passed. It also had a rating system and method for overseeing the quality of the work done by contractors. One of the challenges to the energy retrofit business is having qualified workers who can recommend valuable home efficiency work and then verify the results. An audit done by the DOE's Inspector General Office of Audit Services of the stimulus weatherization program in Illinois found &quot;substandard performance&quot; in the assessments, the actual weatherization work, and contractor billing. (click for PDF of report.) The Home Energy Score initiative, which came out of a report called Recovery Through Retrofits (click for PDF), will &quot;help take same of the guesswork out of making energy-efficient upgrades to our homes,&quot; the Consumers Union, the non-profit which publishes Consumer Reports, said in a statement.Consumers should realize, though, that energy-efficiency upgrade decisions are very specific to individual homes, said Matt Golden, the president of Recurve, which makes software and provides energy retrofit services. He added that the standards and codes that DOE are providing will be very useful to home efficiency professionals. Updated at 12:00 p.m. PT with changes throughout.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Mitsubishi teases a nav-less i-Miev electric car]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mitsubishi-teases-a-nav-less-i-miev-electric-car</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mitsubishi-teases-a-nav-less-i-miev-electric-car</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Elina</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mitsubishi-teases-a-nav-less-i-miev-electric-car</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The 2011 Mitsubishi iMiev is almost a foot longer and just over 4 inches wider than the Japanese model on sale in Europe and Japan.(Credit:Mitsubishi)Leading up to the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, Mitsubishi leaked a few renderings and dimensions of the slightly beefier i-Miev, which the manufacturer will reveal to the public next week. The 100-mile range electric vehicle is expected to go on sale in the U.S. next year, and is currently on sale in Japan.Almost a foot longer and just over 4 inches wider than its Japanese counterpart, the i-Miev's proportions have been increased to accomodate additional safety features to help it comply with current and upcoming National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration regulations, such as more airbags, a tire-pressure monitoring system, and electronic stability control--features that are largely optional in Japan. The interior also appears upgraded for the American market, but noticeably absent in the image is a navigation system. Both the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt come with a navigation system with features to help drivers determine remaining range and recharge time. Does this mean that navigation won't be a standard feature in the i-Miev This could be how the manufacturer plans on keeping the base price at its expected sub-$30,000 MSRP. We'll let you know more next week.The North American i-Miev&amp;39's interior received an upgrade, but no navigation system is visible.(Credit:Mitsubishi)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Survey: 80% of tablet buyers will choose iPad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=survey-80-of-tablet-buyers-will-choose-ipad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=survey-80-of-tablet-buyers-will-choose-ipad</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sheree</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=survey-80-of-tablet-buyers-will-choose-ipad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)High satisfaction rates amongiPad owners is leading to more interest in the device, which continues to eat away at demand for Netbooks, according to a new survey from ChangeWave Research.The survey, which included the views of 3,108 consumers contacted in October about buying plans for PCs, Netbooks, and tablets, showed that 26 percent of consumers would purchase a tablet in the next 90 days.Of those tablet buyers, 80 percent said they would purchase an iPad. RIM's PlayBook, which is Apple's nearest competitor, came in at 8 percent. The Samsung Galaxy Tab (3 percent), HP Slate (2 percent), Archos tablet (1 percent), Dell Streak (1 percent), and Sony Dash (1 percent) rounded out the list.Noting Apple's dominance in the tablet market, Paul Carton, vice president of research at ChangeWave, said that &quot;with the iPad having already set the bar so very high in terms of customer expectations, these new Tablets all have their work cut out for them in order to succeed in the race to gain new market share.&quot;ChangeWave's survey asked current iPad owners about their satisfaction with the device. The numbers showed 72 percent of owners were &quot;very satisfied&quot; (the highest rating), while 23 percent reported being &quot;somewhat satisfied.&quot;Those who reported being &quot;somewhat unsatisfied&quot; (1 percent), &quot;very unsatisfied&quot; (0 percent), and &quot;don't know&quot; (3 percent), accounted for 4 percent of respondents.The percentage of consumers planning to purchase desktop computers (6 percent) in the next 90 days was up 1 point since the last survey in August, and those planning to buy a notebook remained at 8 percent, according to ChangeWave.The big loser Netbooks, which saw a loss in consumer interest. According to ChangeWave, 14 percent of consumers planning to purchase a laptop said it would be a Netbook, down 10 points from June 2009 when interest for the device peaked.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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